(KNSI) – State health and education leaders are doubling down on their recommendations for preventing the spread of COVID-19 in schools as many K-12 districts across the state have started or will start the school year soon.
Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said Friday that the MDH is concerned to hear reports of some school districts not mandating mask wearing, social distancing or other mitigation measures.
“The fact that we, at the state, are no longer mandating these prevention measures is being misunderstood to mean that the recommendations are not important or that we don’t feel they are essential to implement,” Malcolm said. “I want to be really clear on this point: This layered protection approach is something we are strongly urging schools to follow.”
Those recommendations: A face covering requirement for every person in school buildings, vaccinated or not. Encouraging staff and students 12 years old or older to get vaccinated. Maintaining at least three feet of distance between students in classrooms when possible. Having anyone feeling sick stay home and get tested for COVID-19, and promoting regular COVID-19 surveillance testing for students, staff and their families through the school year. Amping up cleaning, disinfection of surfaces and handwashing.
“Schools should review and improve their ventilation,” Malcolm said. “Schools should ensure that infectious people are not in school. This means working with families to ensure that those who are symptomatic are tested and kept at home. Schools should promote contact tracing and support quarantine for those found to be exposed to COVID-19.
“In the face of the highly contagious delta variant, there has never been a more important time than right now for everyone in schools, when there is a high transmission of virus, to be masking and using the multiple layers of prevention available to prevent infection,” Malcolm continued. “And our recommendation of universal masking is a recommendation for schools to require it.”
Malcolm cited the ongoing situation in Albert Lea’s public schools. After one week of classes without a masking mandate, nearly 300 students are in quarantine after 36 positive cases were found in the district.
“We do expect to see some transmission and disruptions, even in schools doing all the right things,” Malcolm said. “But in schools not using the tools available to them, we should expect much faster and larger disruptions.”
Minnesota Department of Education Commissioner Heather Mueller echoed Malcolm, saying adopting COVID safety policies based on MDH’s recommendations will give schools the best chances for continuing in-person learning.
“Today, MDE also released the data for the statewide assessment last spring, and it confirmed what we already knew: Last school year was an incredibly challenging and difficult time and one of disruptions,” Mueller said, “and when we have those disruptions, they have impact on student learning.”
MDH officials say 324 cases of COVID-19 were reported in the past week from schools, camps and childcare settings across the state.
“While we had hoped that our students would have a fall back to school that felt more normal than not, it is clear that this will not be the case,” Mueller said. “There will be challenges facing our students and staff, and even with knowing that, as an educator for over 25 years, when a new school year comes around, I can’t help but feel hopeful.”
Around the area, the St. Cloud Area School District and the Sartell-St. Stephen School District are requiring students, staff and visitors to wear masks indoors, while Sauk Rapids-Rice, ROCORI and Catholic Community Schools are either strongly recommending masks or leaving masks optional.
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